Seattle Sutton's 12 Days of Healthy Habits
The holiday season always provides a great reminder of what is important in our lives and directs us to make improvements in areas we neglected in the past such as focusing more on our family or taking our health more seriously.
No matter what the year threw at you, it’s important to remember that it’s not too late to make a healthy change and the holidays may be just the time to give yourself the gift of wellness and to start focusing on YOU! Our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists organized 12 healthy habits, one for each day of the 12 days of Christmas, to help you have a healthy and happy holiday season!
On the 1st day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Clean out your refrigerator.”
Especially during the holidays, it seems our refrigerators fill up with all sorts of extra food and sweets. All these tempting items can be difficult to avoid and make it hard to stay on the path of healthy eating. Cleaning out the fridge will not only help to reduce these temptations but can also free up room for healthier staples.
Now’s the time to get rid of those high-fat, processed meats; sugar-sweetened beverages; and high-sodium convenience items like frozen pizza and TV dinners. We also recommend pitching anything expired or past its prime. Once you’ve cleaned out and made some extra space, it’s time to restock with items like nonfat milk, low-sugar yogurt, fresh fruits/vegetables, and lean proteins. If you can’t quite get rid of those special treats, move them to a less visible place, such as the crisper drawers or freezer. Having fresh, healthy foods more visible than tempting junk food will make it easier for you to choose those good-for-you items.
On the 2nd day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Start a walking routine.”
Physical activity doesn’t need to be complicated; you need to look no further than your walking shoes. Research has linked regular walking to healthy weight maintenance, lowered risk for certain diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, stronger bones, improved mood, and better balance and coordination.
Starting a 30-minute-a-day walking routine can do wonders for your health and as you develop more stamina you can add more time working up to closer to 60 minutes a day. As the weather gets colder, remember to dress in layers and wear your hat and gloves, and with the sun setting sooner, bright colors to make you more visible if you are walking in the late afternoon or evening.
On the 3rd day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Set and stick to a regular bedtime.”
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With long to-do lists and holiday stress, sleep can take a back seat during the Christmas season. Setting and sticking to a regular bedtime routine can do wonders for your health, stress, and overall mental health. Sleep helps keep a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) and full (leptin). With inadequate sleep, ghrelin goes up and leptin goes down, so you may feel hungrier when you’ve had less sleep. This can impact how much you eat and may indirectly impact your weight.
Inadequate sleep can also impact the body’s insulin response which can increase your body’s risk for diabetes. Also, a good night’s sleep can help strengthen immunity which is extra important during the colder months and during cold/flu season. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
On the 4th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Catch up with friends and family.”
The holidays are a good time to reconnect with friends and family you’ve lost touch with during the last year. These social connections are very important to our health. Relationships with friends and family can improve our mental health, whether it is with a good belly laugh or a vent session, these connections make us feel good and give us support.
If you are just starting with a healthy lifestyle change, having support from family and friends can make a big difference in your success. According to research, having people who are supportive of your healthy eating and exercise goals is one of the important factors for long-term success. So, pick up the phone or set up a video chat and spend time catching up, you (and your loved ones) will be grateful you did!
On the 5th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton says to me… “Dump sugary drinks for water.”
We’ve all heard the advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but many of us struggle to do it. We’ve all also heard how sugar-sweetened beverages are bad for our health, however, most Americans still drink them. When you drink calories, you aren’t as satisfied as when you eat the same number of calories in food.
According to the American Heart Association, most Americans consume nearly 20 teaspoons of added sugar each day which is more than triple the recommended daily limit for women and double for men! It’s time to dump the soda, sweetened teas, energy drinks, fruit drinks, and lemonades! Invest in a few refillable water bottles to have handy to make water an easy choice throughout the day. By increasing the amount of water you drink daily you will see clearer skin, better weight control, improved digestion, and higher energy levels.
On the 6th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Start a gratitude journal.”
If your traditions include watching White Christmas for the holidays, you are reminded every year to count your blessings. This year may be a great time to start counting your blessings and remember how much you have to be grateful for instead of fretting about short-term problems.
A gratitude journal is exactly what it sounds like, a notebook where you write something you are grateful for each day. The practice of keeping a gratitude journal has been linked to better sleep, lower stress, improvements in mental health, and even improved relationships. When we focus on the positive rather than the negative, it puts us in a better frame of mind and gives us a different outlook on our lives. If daily journaling is too much for you, aim for once or twice a week. Journal about people, things, or situations you are grateful for.
On the 7th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Go for a Christmas light adventure walk.”
For some family fun, we recommend bundling up the family and going for a Christmas light adventure. Walking around a well-decorated area of town or neighborhood not only helps get in some extra steps, but also will create some wonderful Christmas memories.
If you have a drive-thru light display in your area, ask if you can walk it instead of driving. If a Christmas light adventure does not seem like a good fit for you, get creative in finding other ways to get active. Exercising can help with managing the stress of the holiday season, improve your mood and sleep, and balance out those extra indulgences that we all find ourselves enjoying during this time of year.
On the 8th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Prepare healthy gifts.”
Want to give the gift of good health and inspire those on your gift list to live healthier and happier into the New Year? A healthy magazine subscription or healthy cookbook may help inspire your loved ones to try some new healthy recipes. A smartwatch can help monitor heart rate, calories burned, activity time, and sleeping patterns. Gifting an herb garden kit makes it easy for someone to grow their own herbs and they can enjoy the convenience of having fresh herbs at their fingertips. Gifting a loose-leaf tea gift set is a cozy way to introduce someone to this healthy beverage option. A gift certificate for a personal trainer, massage, or for Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating may help set someone on the path to healthy living. Choosing a healthy gift for loved ones this year shows you care and can have a lasting impact for many years to come!
On the 9th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Eat mindfully.”
Eating mindfully is a practice that can help you enjoy your food more, eat less, and even lose weight. When we eat distracted, we tend to eat more because we are not tuned into our fullness cues or paying attention to the portion of food we have consumed. Eating distracted can lead to faster eating too. Since it can take around 20 minutes for our brains to receive the signal that we are full, we can be setting ourselves up for overeating.
Mindful eating is about eating without distraction, focusing on and enjoying your food, and paying attention to your body's signals. It can help you determine if you are hungry for food or eating for other reasons such as procrastination, boredom, anxiety, etc. Research focused on mindful eating has shown it can result in significant weight loss, improved glycemic control, increased fiber intake, lower trans-fat and sugar intake, lower cortisol levels, and decreased anxiety. Easy steps to help you on the path of mindful eating include eating at a table without electronics; removing clutter around your eating area; slowing down your eating pace and paying attention to hunger or fullness cues; and noticing the taste, textures, and smells of what you are eating.
On the 10th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Don’t overdo the Christmas Cheer.”
Having a holiday cocktail or two isn’t normally a problem for most people but drinking too much alcohol can have serious effects on your health and add unnecessary calories. According to the American Heart Association, moderate alcohol consumption means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. In general, a drink is one 12-ounce regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, such as bourbon, vodka, or gin.
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk for high blood pressure, obesity, high triglycerides, stroke, breast cancer, liver disease, depression, and accidents. A few tips to help you sip smarter during the holidays include having a glass of water between alcoholic drinks, avoiding drinking on an empty stomach, using low-calorie mixers, sipping drinks, or enjoying a non-alcoholic drink instead.
On the 11th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Help someone in need.”
During the holidays we all seem to be in a more giving spirit. Volunteering is a wonderful activity to do to help those less fortunate and spread the Christmas spirit. Volunteering benefits the recipients with services or items that they need and helps them feel cared for. It also helps you! Volunteering benefits both your mental and physical health. You can start with close neighbors, friends, and family by checking in on them and seeing if there is anything they need. Maybe you have an elderly neighbor, a friend with anxiety, or a family member who is dealing with a loss. You could offer to run an errand for them or bring them a warm meal.
On the 12th day of Christmas, Seattle Sutton said to me… “Nourish yourself with healthy, delicious meals.”
Eating right is the cornerstone of good health. Enjoying healthy foods with lots of colors and including a good variety of different foods can help provide your body with the nutrition it needs and a good dose of antioxidants. Including treats in moderation can help keep you from feeling deprived and help you not get bored. Eating three balanced meals per day and keeping your body hydrated can help you feel and look your best and help keep you from overdoing it on the Christmas cookies and avoid unwanted holiday weight gain! If you don’t want to worry about holiday weight gain, let Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating help you with prepared, healthy, portion-controlled meals.
From all of us at Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating, we wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
